


Twas the Night Before Ceiphiedmas

by lovelywhiteviolets



Category: Slayers (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21996781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelywhiteviolets/pseuds/lovelywhiteviolets
Summary: Twas the night before Ceiphiedmas, and all through the cave, Lina realized maybe she kinda had a holiday to save?Written for theguineapig3 for Slayers Santa 2019.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Twas the Night Before Ceiphiedmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theguineapig3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/gifts).



> I had the pleasure of writing for theguineapig3 for Slayers Santa 2019! I liked all three prompts and was kind of inspired a little bit by all of them, but mostly tried to run with the idea of something sweet and heartwarming with the main four and others (okay, Sylphiel, because I know her best). More friendship, than romance (though maybe some if you squint). I tried to make this not that seasonal, but there was too much holiday going on around me, so I decided to embrace it. This takes place in some nebulous future time after Next and doesn't discount Evo/Revo. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Whatever you celebrate, happy holidays, and happy new year!

Lina Inverse didn’t make mistakes. 

But there were times throughout her life when perhaps she had made questionable decisions that lead to undesirable outcomes that she usually had to maneuver her way out of with a bit of her famed creative genius. 

And she was beginning to think—as she led her motley crew through a cold, snowy forest—that maybe this was one of those ‘outcomes’...

“Lina, should we really keep going?” Amelia asked, not for the first time, as the group hiked the snowy slope up a mountain near Seyruun. Behind her, Zelgadis tugged the hood of his cloak securely around his head as he trudged up while Gourry and Sylphiel brought up the rear. “It’s starting to get colder, and we should head back into Seyruun proper soon to prepare for the Ceiphiedmas Eve party and the gift exchange—” 

“Come on, Amelia, where’s your sense of adventure?” 

Amelia squealed as her boot sank deep into a snow pocket on her next step. “I think it’s back at the palace next to the fireplace…” 

Lina ignored that, eyes scanning the horizon, hoping something would reveal itself. According to information she’d bought off a relatively trustworthy peddler in the magic district, it was said the entrance to the tunnels would be hidden by a boulder that looked like the sideways profile of a fishman wielding a sword… And _there,_ Lina could see said boulder just up ahead. “Wait! I found it! Treasure has never been closer!” 

Amelia squared her shoulders. “If it’s that important to you, then let’s go…” 

They made their way to the boulder and followed the curve around it until Lina spotted an entrance to the cave. By then, the weather had gotten much worse. 

“There’s a storm coming!” Sylphiel warned from the back, eyes scanning the sky above. But Lina could already tell as the cadence of the falling snow had gone quickly from romantically whimsical to stunningly worrisome.

“The entrance is right there! Quick!” Lina yelled, and the five of them rushed the opening, stumbling in just the wind began to whip furiously outside. Faster than she’d expected, snow piled up around the mouth of the cave, neatly sealing them in. 

Lina cast a Light spell, examining the thick wall of snow and feeling she would’ve been more impressed if she hadn’t just gotten everyone stuck in a cave the night of the Ceiphiedmas Ball because she _had_ to check out a local legend about a quote-unquote “magical cave of treasure too beautiful to behold”. Now she just felt... eh, like she didn’t want to examine her feelings in this particular moment.

“Looks like we’re stuck,” Zelgadis said as some snow blew into the cave, swirling lightly around his boots. 

Lina made a face. “A Dragon Slave would—” 

“—obliterate us in this confined space,” Zelgadis finished for her, and Lina scowled. “Same with a Fireball.” 

“That’s what I was going to say,” Lina huffed. 

“So we’re waiting the storm out then,” Amelia mused. “Luckily, I don’t think storms up here last long. Anywhere from a couple hours to a few days!” 

“‘A few days’?” Gourry said. 

“I mean, we might miss the ball…” Amelia said a bit wistfully, and Lina tamped down hard on an itch that had settled itself between her shoulders. Then the princess smiled. “On the bright side, it’s less likely we’ll freeze or starve to death!”

“Thanks, Amelia,” Lina said. “Looks like we have a couple hours to a few days to explore the tunnels then…” 

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t believe there’s more to this cave than what we’re seeing,” Sylphiel said, the Light sphere at her fingertips showing the edges of the quite large but clearly singular room of a cavern.

Maybe this hadn’t been the place they were looking for after all. Lina tried to think back… Was it possible she’d gotten the wrong information about the way to the cave? That boulder had definitely looked like a fishman, she would know, but had it been desperate optimism? 

“All right, so we bunk here until the storm passes,” Lina said, clapping her hands. “Gourry, Sylphiel, work on getting us a fire. Zel, Amelia, stop more snow from coming in the cave. I’ll make a bit more light.” 

Lina walked to the back of the cave, using the task mostly as an excuse to get a handle on the situation to see if she could come up with a better alternative, and she realized she was still staring at the wall when Gourry came up behind her, clearing his throat. 

“I thought you were building a fire,” Lina said without turning.

“Sylphiel’s using magic, which is a lot faster than I’d take, so I thought I’d tend to something else,” he said. “You okay?” 

“Oh yeah, fine, just dandy,” she said. 

“Good,” Gourry said. “Because I thought maybe you were feeling a little sad.” 

“ _Sad?_ Really?” 

“Okay, not sad… bad maybe?” 

“Your observational skills are astute as ever,” she said dryly. 

“Thanks!” Gourry said, and Lina sighed with frustration because Gourry could say the dumbest things but he was usually also infuriatingly right.

“Okay, you’re… not wrong,” Lina allowed. “We’re stranded here until the storm passes.” 

“It could be worse,” Gourry said. “We could’ve gotten stuck in the storm and had to make do out there.” 

“It could be better,” Lina countered. “We could’ve turned around the first time Amelia asked and have been cozying up in hot baths and with tea and cookies while we waited for the party to start.” 

“Tea and baths and parties will be there when we get back to the palace,” he said. “Why not make the most of the time now?” 

Well, that was true, and there was no need for the cave to be depressing. Lina sent her Light spell aloft, using a twist on the spell to disperse it into multiple smaller spheres, so that she could effectively hang lights from the ceiling of the cavern like strings of lanterns. 

“What do you think?” 

“Beautiful,” Gourry said, looking sideways at her. “You know, it might make you feel better if you didn’t hold things so close to the chest.” 

She squinted at him. “Are you… trying to insult me?”

“No! I meant that you could just tell everyone the _real_ reason we’re all out here and—” 

“Oh, Lina!” Sylphiel said, her delighted gasp interrupting Gourry as she walked up. “The lights look so nice!” 

“Thanks...” Lina said, letting Sylphiel lead her and Gourry back to the fire and fully ignoring the pointed look Gourry gave as they did so. 

Zelgadis and Amelia had already doffed their wet cloaks, laying them out to dry before the flames, and everyone else followed suit then stretched out around the fire in a loose circle on soft blankets they managed to scrounge from one of the packs.

Amelia hummed in pleasure as she put her cold feet close to the warmth. “You know, with the blankets and lights and the fire, this is pretty cozy…”

“Yes, it’s really quite lovely,” Sylphiel said. 

“Now if only we had food…” Gourry said. 

“Great idea, Gourry!” Lina said. “Anyone bring anything to eat or drink?” 

“Not enough to feed the pair of you,” Zelgadis said, eyeing Lina and Gourry suspiciously. 

“We’ll hold back. But don’t you be stingy. It’s nearly Ceiphiedmas after all…” 

Everyone dug around in their packs and fished out what they could reasonably share with the group, setting it all against one of the cave walls. Lina looked at it all, pleasantly surprised. 

“Nuts, dried fruit, bread, cheese… this isn’t looking too shabby! And… ooh! A couple bottles of wine! Who brought these?” Lina asked, looking around. Zelgadis’s hand went up in the manner of a sullen academy student--half-raised as if he didn’t want to answer the question. Lina lifted a brow at him.

“What?” he shrugged. “I picked them up in town just before we left on this journey… I didn’t think we’d be out this long…” 

Amelia looked over at the label on the bottles and smiled brightly. “Hey, this vintage is one of my favorite wines in the world.” 

Zelgadis looked anywhere but at her. “I know.” 

“Oh,” Amelia said. 

“Well, thank goodness it’s here,” Lina said. “We appreciate the contribution, Zel!” 

“Something tells me I wouldn’t have had a choice…” 

Lina slapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit!” 

“I have something else as well,” Sylphiel put in, and she dug around in her pack to pull out a small box of beautifully decorated sugar cookies.

“Oh, man, Sylphiel, you’re the best!” Lina said, brightening. 

Lina did her utmost to dole everything out relatively equally. With the wine, she gave up on dividing it into cups, instead taking a sip as a demonstration and passing it on to the next person to try. 

“It’s so festive now!” Amelia said as everyone dug in to eat and took turns drinking the wine. “It’s almost as good as spending time together back in the palace…” 

Lina made a face. 

“...minus hot coffee, dry clothes, and the promise of a warm bed,” Zelgadis pointed out, and Amelia elbowed him. 

“We don’t need all that, Mr. Zelgadis! In fact, the only thing we’re really missing is a fireside game… Oh! In school, we used to play truth or dare—”

“Absolutely not,” Lina cut in. “I can’t think of dares that wouldn’t get gross, boring, or embarrassing really quickly in here.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Zelgadis asked. 

“When I was training to become a priestess, the other initiates and I sometimes played Two Truths and a Falsehood,” Sylphiel said. “You know, where you share three statements about yourself and then everyone else tries to guess which one is the lie?” 

“How do you win?” Lina asked. 

“The game isn’t about winning,” Sylphiel said, and Lina and Zelgadis groaned. “It’s about getting to know each other.” 

“Sounds fun,” Amelia said. “I’ll go first! I cast Ra Tilt successfully on the first try, Daddy and I don’t have to practice our dual catchphrases because we’re so in tune with one another, and... I hate cats.” 

“Okay, you definitely don’t hate cats,” Lina said immediately, and Amelia deflated. “But wow, you cast the Ra Tilt on the first try, so kudos to you.” 

Amelia pouted. “How’d you guess so fast? I tried to make it a little challenging!” 

“You crinkle your nose a little when you lie,” Zelgadis said. 

“Yep,” Lina said, and Sylphiel nodded beside her. 

“Yeah, you definitely do,” Gourry affirmed. “Easy.” 

“Okay, Mr. Gourry, then why don’t you give it a try?” 

“Sure,” he said. He looked up at the ceiling, counting off on each finger as he listed each point. “I used to wield the Sword of Light, I’m allergic to bell peppers, and I have never seen a ghost in person.” 

“Gourry, do you remember the rules of the game?” Lina started at the same time as Amelia said, “Is it the second one?”

Sylphiel let out a small laugh. “Gourry, I believe those are all truths.” 

“What? Really? When did I see a ghost?” 

“We fought them once,” Amelia said. “One of them possessed Lina… Don't you remember that at all?” 

“Did I talk to it? What did it want?” 

Lina groaned. “Never mind, we’re skipping your turn. Zel?” 

Zelgadis cocked his head to the side, a small grin on his face. “Mmmm, I drink my coffee with two teaspoons of sugar, I prefer the Elvish translation of the _Practicum Arcana_ to the Draconian one, and Rezo is my great-grandfather on my paternal mother’s side.” 

“You’re a jerk,” Lina declared when he finished. 

“Those are so specifically obscure!” Sylphiel accused. 

“You know it’s not a game you have to win,” Amelia put in. 

“And yet, I’m about to stump all of you,” Zelgadis countered. 

“Unfortunately for you, you’re not as mysterious as you think,” Lina crowed. “I happen to know you prefer the Elvish translations of anything because you complimented their work on one of the manuscripts we hunted down thinking it was the Claire Bible.” 

“Hey now—” 

“And the Rezo fact is true. You told me,” Syphiel said. 

Zelgadis frowned. “Oh, that’s right…” 

Lina looked from Zelgadis to Sylphiel. “He did?” 

“He said it in passing when we briefly talked after… what happened with Sairaag the first time,” Sylphiel explained. “When he said he was sorry for whatever role his great-grandfather’s legacy played in the tragedy.” 

“Sylphiel,” Amelia said gently. Lina scanned the priestess’ face; Sairaag would never be forgotten, but she was heartened to see that enough time had passed that it seemed Sylphiel would likely be okay. 

“It was… a kind thing to say at a time when a terribly unkind thing had been done,” Sylphiel said. “It’s also one of the reasons why I knew it’d be all right if I kept on traveling with you, Lina.” 

“Zel vouched for me?” Lina asked. 

“I did no such thing,” Zel said. 

“It was less what he said and more that it was clear he trusted you. And so did Gourry, so that was enough for me.” 

“Aww, Zel, you really do like me,” Lina said. 

“Shut up,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you’ve won the game.” 

“There are no winners,” Amelia said again. “But just in case you thought you did win, I know you’re lying about the sugars in your coffee. You take three, not two.” 

“And just how can you be so sure?”

“Because I notice you,” she said. 

“Oh,” Zelgadis said. 

Then in a rush, Amelia said, “It’s royal etiquette! Every good hostess remembers stuff like that.” 

“Really? How do I take my coffee?” Gourry asked. 

“Isn’t it Sylphiel’s turn now that we guessed Zelgadis’s lie?” Amelia said. “Unless I’m wrong...” 

Defeated, Zelgadis leaned back against the cave wall, arms crossed. “No, you’re correct. Well done. Sylphiel?”

Sylphiel thought for a second. “Okay… I was the reigning champion against all the boys in a tree-climbing competition we had during the annual harvest festival in Old Sairaag, I hate cooking with carrots, and I never have more fun than when I’m with you all.” 

“That last one’s definitely the lie,” Zelgadis said immediately. “There’s no way.” 

Sylphiel laughed. “I have a feeling you have as much fun as I do. You have to admit it’s never boring with Lina around. Or else why would you be here?” 

Zelgadis muttered something about _potential manuscripts_ and _cures for this condition_ , but it was half-hearted at best, and no one listened. 

“You were the reigning tree-climbing champion, Sylphiel,” Lina said after thinking it over. “I believe it of the girl who hid the Blessed Blade in the Tree of Flagoon as a prank.” 

“You did that?!” Amelia asked, eyes wide. 

Sylphiel lifted her hand to her cheek like she was self-conscious, but Lina caught the small smile. “Lina, that was told in confidence…” 

“It’s a story that should be shared,” Lina shrugged. 

“It’s the carrots,” Gourry said. “I know it. You couldn’t cook them so very well if you didn’t actually like them.” 

Sylphiel flushed with pride. “It’s true…”

“Aww,” Amelia said. “You know, this game is really fun! I think we’re learning a lot.” 

“Yeah, I’m learning we might spend _too_ much time together,” Zelgadis said, taking a sip from the wine bottle and handing it to Lina. 

“Now, Lina, you’re last,” Amelia said. 

“Hold on, this bottle’s gone,” Lina said, as she finished the last little bit from the bottle. Amelia opened the next bottle of wine, took a sip, and passed it on to Gourry. 

“Thanks,” Gourry said. “The wine is nice. It’s spicy, like Ceipheidmas.” 

“It’s a special holiday wine they offer only at this time of year. They mull it with cloves and fruit,” Amelia said. “My sister introduced me to it actually…” 

“Didn’t your sister leave when you were young?” Lina said.

“Yeah, I was still a kid when this happened. She let me take a sip just for fun even though she wasn’t supposed to. That’s why it was so thrilling I suppose,” Amelia said wistfully. “As I got older, my dad started buying a bottle for us during the holiday so we could raise a toast to my sister’s good health. I wonder if she remembers… or if she even still drinks! How about you all? Any fun holiday traditions you had growing up?” 

“It didn’t snow where I came from,” Gourry said, and even though he hadn’t answered the question, everyone wisely didn’t push him for a more specific answer. 

“Sugar cookies,” Sylphiel contributed, holding up the box and selecting one to eat. “My mother’s recipe, and my father’s favorite. It’s a happy reminder of them.”

“When I was younger, there was a winter festival that came to town sometimes,” Lina said. “I usually went to help my parents run a booth there. I wouldn’t call this a tradition… but I used to visit this one games booth. You had three chances to knock down a stack of vases with a ball. I tried my hand at it every year and never won, but this one year, I used a wind spell I’d just learned at the academy and that did the trick. Won every time after that.” 

“Lina, isn’t that cheating?” 

“It can’t be cheating if the game was rigged in the first place!” Lina said passionately. “Mister Lycrum fused those vases together, I know it! No one ever won except for me, and if anything, he should be thanking me for making it look like his operation wasn’t a sham!”

“That’s the most ‘Lina’ thing I’ve ever heard,” Zelgadis said. “What a weird tradition.” 

“You got a better one?”

“Not really. Rezo wasn’t the warm-and-fuzzy type,” Zel said. “And I certainly don’t do much for the holidays now.”

“I guess it’s hard to have a true tradition when you don’t go back home,” Sylphiel said. “I’ve been traveling so much trying to gather support and resources for rebuilding Sairaag that the past few Ceiphiedmases have been on the road.” 

“Same for us,” Lina said, looking to Gourry for confirmation. 

“That’s so sad!” Amelia cried. 

“It’s not a big deal—” Lina started. 

“It _is_ a big deal!” Amelia said. “I mean, er, it’s okay not to have rituals because what really matters are the people around you and all that… but traditions are fun when they mean something. And I know I only offered to host you guys for a gift exchange this year, but… I swear it, as long as I’m around, I’m extending an eternal invitation of friendship and everlasting love to all of you, and you’re all hereby declared invited to celebrate the entire week of Ceipheidmas in the Royal Palace with me because I consider all of you my family… so there!” 

“Aww, Amelia,” Sylphiel said. “I feel the same way.”

“Thanks, Amelia,” Zelgadis said, sincerely.

“Yeah, it’s really sweet of you,” Gourry said. 

“Geez, you’re so dramatic,” Lina said, then at Amelia’s hopeful glance, she added reluctantly, “And thank you. It’s… nice making plans to see each other instead of, you know, running into each other when the world’s about to end.” 

Amelia beamed at her.

“You know, speaking of gifts,” Sylphiel said, “I actually have all my presents for everyone with me. It might be nice to do an early exchange here since we might not make it back in time for the party…”

“I like the thought, but we can’t be sure everyone brought theirs too,” Lina said faintly.

“Funnily enough, I have my with me too,” Amelia said. “One of the last things I did in town before we came out here was have them wrapped, so it’s perfect! And you’re right. There’s no reason not to do it right here and now!” 

“I have mine as well,” Zel said. “Minus the wine we opened already, of course.” 

“But perhaps we shouldn’t if Lina and Gourry don’t have theirs,” Sylphiel said. 

“Oh, I brought mine,” Gourry said, slanting Lina a significant look. 

“The _gifts_ were the thing you chose to remember?!” Lina asked, rounding on him. She put a hand to her face. “For the love of Ceipheid, why did everyone haul all their gifts up a mountain?” 

“To be fair, it was mostly because you caught us a little off-guard by wanting to trek up here directly after we went to the market this morning…” Amelia said. 

“Yeah,” Gourry said. “It was a little sudden, huh, Lina?” 

Lina glared at him. “What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying I don’t think we should do the gift exchange,” Gourry said, and Lina looked relieved until he continued with, “because Lina never had her turn at Two Truths and a Lie.” 

“Oh, that’s right!” Amelia said. “It was your turn. And then I got distracted. Let’s hear it then, Lina. We’ll guess at the truth.” 

Lina sighed and stuck her tongue out at Gourry. “You never know when to mind your own business.” 

Amelia looked from Lina to Gourry, curious. “What’s going on?” 

“Okay, look. Here it is,” Lina said, jumping to her feet. “I didn’t bring gifts because I didn’t buy any. I spent all my money earlier this month when I came across these rare, one-of-a-kind magical tomes that I’ve never seen before and I couldn’t pass up. So I did a lot of research all last week and finally found a guy in the market who knew about the entrance to this cave of treasure in the mountains near Seyruun that was going to bring me a lot of money which would fix the problem.” 

“Are we still playing the game?” Zelgadis asked. “Because you’re just as bad at it as Gourry. Those all seem true.”

“So let me get this straight,” Amelia said slowly, “you didn’t get anyone gifts, and you were so concerned about the gift exchange that you spent an entire week researching local legends to find treasure to get you money for the purpose of buying gifts for all of us?” 

Lina crossed her arms. “Yeah, that’s… accurate.” 

“Miss Lina,” Amelia said, sounding oddly choked up, and Lina worried she’d made Amelia cry. “That’s… that’s so sweet!” 

“Wait, what?” 

“That may be the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for us!” Amelia squealed, jumping up to hug her and nearly toppling her over.

“Are you serious?” Lina said. “I basically just told you I chose rare books over gifts for you.” 

“I know, but the fact that you were actually stressed enough to think up an entire plan to try to fix it just makes me so happy!” Amelia said.

“You know, she’s oddly right,” Zelgadis said. 

“It does mean we’ve come a long ways since we all first met,” Sylphiel put in. 

“It means we’re actually friends!” Amelia said. 

“Of course we’re friends,” Lina muttered, rolling her eyes. “So… you really aren’t mad?”

“I personally would’ve preferred not to get stuck in a cave,” Zelgadis said. 

“Yeah, the hike didn’t go according to plan,” Lina said, scratching the back of her head. “Sorry.” 

“Well, the point of inviting you over for Ceiphiedmas was to spend time with you, and that’s exactly what we did,” Amelia said. “I wouldn’t trade this for the world.” 

“Hear hear,” Sylphiel said. 

“I think this calls for a toast,” Gourry said, picking up the wine bottle which looked like it had just enough left in it for each of them. “What should we toast to?” 

“To Ceipheidmas,” Lina said. 

“To friends,” Sylphiel said. 

“To the family we choose,” Gourry said.

“To us surviving everything together,” Zelgadis said. 

“And… to Lina!” Amelia finished. “Because without her, we might not have met, and the world probably would’ve ended, and instead of that, we’re in a cave celebrating the wine and each other.” 

They each took a sip, Lina taking the last drink. She drained it and smiled into the bottle, feeling warm for reasons other than the liquor and enjoying the way the flames of the fire were flickering in the faint breeze… 

“Wait,” Lina said, head lifting, “there’s a breeze.”

“From outside?” Amelia looked towards the entrance. Lina shook her head. 

“No, from the back…” Lina went to the back wall, fingers skimming over the rough rock face until she found... “There’s something here!” 

And indeed there was a small entrance to a tunnel that had been oddly obscured with how it was sheltered in the wall. Lina quickly calculated Gourry could fit in it if he turned sideways and sucked in, which meant everyone else would fit as well. She squeezed through, and almost immediately, her foot caught on something, causing her to slip.

“Lina!” 

She cast a Light spell, revealing a narrow tunnel that sloped upwards. She scrambled up it, and after a few minutes, the tunnel opened up into a large room. She sent her Light spell forward into the room, and her jaw dropped. Behind her, she could hear the surprised reactions of her friends as they joined her… 

“Oh my Ceiphied,” Amelia said, her hands going to her mouth. 

As Lina’s Light sphere ascended to the roof, the beams of the light reflected back at them in the facets of thousands of crystals embedded in the rocks on the wall. 

“It’s beautiful…” Sylphiel said. “Are those… diamonds?” 

“Wait, does that mean we actually found something? It’s not a Mazoku in disguise, or some weird party ritual spell that gives off bright lights, or dragon meat that has to be dried for several months before we can eat it?” Gourry asked. 

“Only one way to tell…” Lina ran to one of the crystals, tore off her gloves, and put a hand to it to see if she could prise it out… 

Then she just started laughing. 

Everyone else looked at her like she’d grown a second head, until she lit a small flame at her fingers, and the “crystals” started to melt into water beneath her fingertips.

“Ice,” she said. “The local legend about a magical cave of treasure too beautiful to behold led us to an ice cave. It’s unusual, it’s ethereal, but… it’s still just ice.” 

“Well,” Amelia said after a moment, “it _is_ magical.” 

“But even better than that…” Zelgadis said from the other side of the room, “I found an exit. It seems as though the weather changed too. We might just get out of here yet..."

Everyone went back to retrieve their cloaks and packs from the cave entrance then followed Zelgadis out the back. Lina took one last forlorn look at the cave and walked out behind them.

The storm had abated, and the skies were now clear, though darkening. Everywhere was winter white, though in the valley below, Lina could see the lights of Seyruun’s castle, festive and effervescent in the twilight, even from here. They weren’t as far away as she’d thought, which was a relief.

“I know where we are. If we just make it to that crest,” Amelia pointed down the hill, “there’s a guard post out there, and they’ll be able to procure a carriage for us. We should be home in no time… probably in time for the party!” 

“And the gift exchange?” Lina asked.

“You can just owe us double next year,” Amelia said with a smile. 

“Hey!” Lina protested, but Amelia was practically flying down the mountain with Zelgadis and Sylphiel following after her towards the guard post.

Gourry turned to Lina, eyebrow raised. “So?” 

Lina groaned. “Ugh, yeah, yeah, you were right all along. I should’ve just admitted it earlier. Would’ve saved us a trip anyway.”

“Eh, it wasn’t so bad,” he said. “Now if you’re ready, I hear there’s tea and baths and parties waiting for us.” 

“Ready? I’m more than ready. After today, I’m never leaving the palace again,” Lina said as they started down.

“I’m pretty sure Amelia will have something to say about that,” Gourry said. 

Lina laughed. “Hey, she’s the one who gave us an eternal invitation of friendship and love. Now come on... let’s go really celebrate Ceipheidmas." 

**Author's Note:**

> Whatever you celebrate, merry Ceipheidmas to all, and to all a good night!
> 
> Whew, this was going to be a near thing--various people in my household were basically ill from early in the month through Christmas, and I, luckily or unluckily, was the only one who managed to stay above it (read: play nurse for increasingly cranky people, lol). Thankfully, we’re good now and will never get sick again ever, fingers crossed. 
> 
> On a funny note, I recently had to add my weird spelling of “Ceiphied” to my personal word processor dictionary, so it would stop getting flagged by spellcheck (still not sure I caught it all). On a random note, I don’t know that much about snow or surviving in the wilderness, so I’m sure there’s a lot of flaws in my logic, so ::waves hands:: And on a last note, for some reason, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to hit the minimum ask of 800 words, but here we are.


End file.
